Discover the World: Tuscany

Serving up a short but colorful survey of both popular and lesser-known areas of this north-central region of Italy, Discover the World: Tuscany offers a little something for everyone: as a home to incredible architecture (showing varied influences from North African to French), the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, a famed wine country, and a paradise for foodies. The narrated travelogue leads armchair visitors through Siena, with its white cathedral standing out in an otherwise terracotta town; San Gimignano, whose tall towers stretched the limits of architectural possibility during medieval times; Pisa, with its incredibly beautiful square and famous leaning tower; and Florence, still under the sway of Michelangelo's influence and legacy. Also stressed here are the benefits of getting off well-beaten tourist paths and discovering the “unknown Tuscany,” a sometimes harsher landscape where hills are split by erosion, ancient ruins can be explored, and rocky ground has been miraculously converted to vineyard-friendly soil. And, of course, there's lot of Chianti, pizza, and pasta. Recommended. [Note: also newly available is Discover the World: Rio de Janeiro.] Aud: P. (T. Keogh)